King Sudyumna Becomes a Woman

Verse 1 (bhagavata.9.1.1)

श्रीराजोवाच मन्वन्तराणि सर्वाणि त्वयोक्तानि श्रुतानि मे । वीर्याण्यनन्तवीर्यस्य हरेस्तत्र कृतानि च ॥ 1.1 ॥

śrī-rājovāca manvantarāṇi sarvāṇi tvayoktāni śrutāni me vīryāṇy ananta-vīryasya hares tatra kṛtāni ca

King Parikshit said: You have described to me all the periods of the Manus, and within them the wonderful deeds of the infinitely powerful Lord Hari — all of which I have heard from you.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.9.1.2)

योऽसौ सत्यव्रतो नाम राजर्षिर्द्रविडेश्वरः । ज्ञानं योऽतीतकल्पान्ते लेभे पुरुषसेवया ॥ 1.2 ॥

yo ’sau satyavrato nāma rājarṣirdraviḍeśvaraḥ jñānaṁ yo ’tītakalpānte lebhe puruṣasevayā

That royal sage named Satyavrata, ruler of the Dravida country, who attained knowledge at the end of the last age through service to the Supreme Person —

Verse 3 (bhagavata.9.1.3)

स वै विवस्वतः पुत्रो मनुरासीदिति श्रुतम् । त्वत्तस्तस्य सुताःप्रोक्ता इक्ष्वाकुप्रमुखा नृपाः ॥ 1.3 ॥

sa vai vivasvataḥ putro manurāsīditi śrutam tvattastasya sutāḥproktā ikṣvākupramukhā nṛpāḥ

he, I have heard, became the son of Vivasvan named Manu; and you yourself have told me that the kings headed by Ikshvaku were his sons.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.9.1.4)

तेषां वंशं पृथग् ब्रह्मन् वंशानुचरितानि च । कीर्तयस्व महाभाग नित्यं शुश्रूषतां हि नः ॥ 1.4 ॥

teṣāṁ vaṁśaṁ pṛthag brahman vaṁśānucaritāni ca kīrtayasva mahā-bhāga nityaṁ śuśrūṣatāṁ hi naḥ

O brahmana, O most fortunate one, kindly describe to us, one by one, the lineages of those kings and the deeds of each dynasty, for we are ever eager to hear it from you.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.9.1.5)

ये भूता ये भविष्याश्च भवन्त्यद्यतनाश्च ये । तेषां नः पुण्यकीर्तीनां सर्वेषां वद विक्रमान् ॥ 1.5 ॥

ye bhūtā ye bhaviṣyāś ca bhavanty adyatanāś ca ye teṣāṁ naḥ puṇya-kīrtīnāṁ sarveṣāṁ vada vikramān

Tell us of the exploits of all those kings of pure renown — those who have already been, those yet to come, and those living now.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.9.1.6)

श्रीसूत उवाच एवं परीक्षिता राज्ञा सदसि ब्रह्मवादिनाम् । पृष्टः प्रोवाच भगवाञ्छुकः परमधर्मवित् ॥ 1.6 ॥

śrī-sūta uvāca evaṁ parīkṣitā rājñā sadasi brahma-vādinām pṛṣṭaḥ provāca bhagavāñ chukaḥ parama-dharma-vit

Shri Suta said: Thus questioned by King Parikshit in that assembly of scholars versed in the Veda, the illustrious Shukadeva, supreme knower of dharma, began to speak.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.9.1.7)

श्रीशुक उवाच श्रूयतां मानवो वंशः प्राचुर्येण परन्तप । न शक्यते विस्तरतो वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि ॥ 1.7 ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca śrūyatāṁ mānavo vaṁśaḥ prācuryeṇa parantapa na śakyate vistarato vaktuṁ varṣa-śatair api

Shri Shukadeva said: O subduer of enemies, now hear in fullness of the dynasty of Manu — though even a hundred years would not suffice to recount it in complete detail.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.9.1.8)

परावरेषां भूतानामात्मा यः पुरुषः परः । स एवासीदिदं विश्वं कल्पान्तेऽन्यन्न किञ्चन ॥ 1.8 ॥

parāvareṣāṁ bhūtānām ātmā yaḥ puruṣaḥ paraḥ sa evāsīd idaṁ viśvaṁ kalpānte ’nyan na kiñcana

The Supreme Person, who is the Self of all beings both high and low, alone existed at the end of the age — this universe, and everything else, was not.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.9.1.9)

तस्य नाभेः समभवत् पद्मकोषो हिरण्मयः । तस्मिञ्जज्ञे महाराज स्वयम्भूश्चतुराननः ॥ 1.9 ॥

tasya nābheḥ samabhavat padma-koṣo hiraṇmayaḥ tasmiñ jajñe mahārāja svayambhūś catur-ānanaḥ

O King, from His navel arose a golden lotus-bud, in which the self-born, four-faced Brahma took birth.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.9.1.10)

मरीचिर्मनसस्तस्य जज्ञे तस्यापि कश्यपः । दाक्षायण्यां ततोऽदित्यां विवस्वानभवत् सुतः ॥ 1.10 ॥

marīcir manasas tasya jajñe tasyāpi kaśyapaḥ dākṣāyaṇyāṁ tato ’dityāṁ vivasvān abhavat sutaḥ

From Brahma's mind Marichi was born; from Marichi, Kashyapa; and from Kashyapa, through Daksha's daughter Aditi, was born the son Vivasvan.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.9.1.11)

ततो मनुः श्राद्धदेवः संज्ञायामास भारत । श्रद्धायां जनयामास दश पुत्रान् स आत्मवान् ॥ 1.11 ॥

tato manuḥ śrāddhadevaḥ saṁjñāyāmāsa bhārata śraddhāyāṁ janayāmāsa daśa putrān sa ātmavān

O scion of Bharata, from that Vivasvan, through Samjna, was born Shraddhadeva Manu. That self-controlled Manu begot ten sons through his wife Shraddha.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.9.1.12)

इक्ष्वाकुनृगशर्यातिदिष्टधृष्टकरूषकान् । नरिष्यन्तं पृषध्रं च नभगं च कविं विभुः ॥ 1.12 ॥

ikṣvākunṛgaśaryātidiṣṭadhṛṣṭakarūṣakān nariṣyantaṁ pṛṣadhraṁ ca nabhagaṁ ca kaviṁ vibhuḥ

Those illustrious sons were Ikshvaku, Nriga, Sharyati, Dishta, Dhrishta, Karushaka, Narishyanta, Prishadhra, Nabhaga and Kavi.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.9.1.13)

अप्रजस्य मनोः पूर्वं वसिष्ठो भगवान् किल । मित्रावरुणयोरिष्टिं प्रजार्थमकरोद् विभुः ॥ 1.13 ॥

aprajasya manoḥ pūrvaṁ vasiṣṭho bhagavān kila mitrā-varuṇayor iṣṭiṁ prajārtham akarod vibhuḥ

Before this, when Manu was without offspring, the mighty and venerable Vasishtha performed a sacrifice to the gods Mitra and Varuna for the sake of progeny.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.9.1.14)

तत्र श्रद्धा मनोः पत्नी होतारं समयाचत । दुहित्रर्थमुपागम्य प्रणिपत्य पयोव्रता ॥ 1.14 ॥

tatra śraddhā manoḥ patnī hotāraṁ samayācata duhitrartham upāgamya praṇipatya payovratā

During that sacrifice, Manu's wife Shraddha, who kept the vow of subsisting on milk alone, approached the officiating priest, bowed to him, and begged for a daughter.

Verse 15 (bhagavata.9.1.15)

प्रेषितोऽध्वर्युणा होता व्यचरत् तत् समाहितः । गृहीते हविषि वाचा वषट्कारं गृणन्द्विजः ॥ 1.15 ॥

preṣito ’dhvaryuṇā hotā vyacarat tat samāhitaḥ gṛhīte haviṣi vācā vaṣaṭ-kāraṁ gṛṇan dvijaḥ

Directed by the adhvaryu priest, the hota, with focused mind, took up the oblation and, uttering the word "vashat," carried out the offering.

Verse 16 (bhagavata.9.1.16)

होतुस्तद्व्यभिचारेण कन्येला नाम साभवत् । तां विलोक्य मनुः प्राह नातितुष्टमना गुरुम् ॥ 1.16 ॥

hotus tad-vyabhicāreṇa kanyelā nāma sābhavat tāṁ vilokya manuḥ prāha nātituṣṭamanā gurum

Because of the priest's distraction, a daughter named Ila was born instead. Seeing her, Manu, far from pleased, addressed his guru as follows.

Verse 17 (bhagavata.9.1.17)

भगवन् किमिदं जातं कर्म वो ब्रह्मवादिनाम् । विपर्ययमहो कष्टं मैवं स्याद् ब्रह्मविक्रिया ॥ 1.17 ॥

bhagavan kim idaṁ jātaṁ karma vo brahma-vādinām viparyayam aho kaṣṭaṁ maivaṁ syād brahma-vikriyā

My lord, how has this reversal come from the ritual work of Veda-knowers such as yourselves? This inverted result is truly a matter of grief — the power of the Vedic mantra should never fail so.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.9.1.18)

यूयं ब्रह्मविदो युक्तास्तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषाः । कुतः सङ्कल्पवैषम्यमनृतं विबुधेष्विव ॥ 1.18 ॥

yūyaṁ brahma-vido yuktās tapasā dagdha-kilbiṣāḥ kutaḥ saṅkalpa-vaiṣamyam anṛtaṁ vibudheṣv iva

You are knowers of the Absolute, disciplined, your sins burnt away by austerity. How then could your resolve, like the words of the gods themselves, prove so unfailingly false — this discrepancy?

Verse 19 (bhagavata.9.1.19)

निशम्य तद् वचस्तस्य भगवान् प्रपितामहः । होतुर्व्यतिक्रमं ज्ञात्वा बभाषे रविनन्दनम् ॥ 1.19 ॥

niśamya tad vacas tasya bhagavān prapitāmahaḥ hotur vyatikramaṁ jñātvā babhāṣe ravi-nandanam

Hearing these words of Manu, the illustrious Vasishtha, understanding the priest's lapse, spoke thus to the son of the sun-god.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.9.1.20)

एतत् सङ्कल्पवैषम्यं होतुस्ते व्यभिचारतः । तथापि साधयिष्ये ते सुप्रजास्त्वं स्वतेजसा ॥ 1.20 ॥

etat saṅkalpa-vaiṣamyaṁ hotus te vyabhicārataḥ tathāpi sādhayiṣye te suprajāstvaṁ sva-tejasā

This inversion of purpose came about through your priest's distraction. Even so, by my own power I shall grant you good progeny.

Verse 21 (bhagavata.9.1.21)

एवं व्यवसितो राजन् भगवान् स महायशाः । अस्तौषीदादिपुरुषमिलायाः पुंस्त्वकाम्यया ॥ 1.21 ॥

evaṁ vyavasito rājan bhagavān sa mahā-yaśāḥ astauṣīd ādi-puruṣam ilāyāḥ puṁstva-kāmyayā

Shukadeva said: O King, having resolved thus, the most illustrious Vasishtha praised the primeval Person, Lord Vishnu, desiring that Ila be granted manhood.

Verse 22 (bhagavata.9.1.22)

तस्मै कामवरं तुष्टो भगवान् हरिरीश्वरः । ददाविलाभवत् तेन सुद्युम्नः पुरुषर्षभः ॥ 1.22 ॥

tasmai kāma-varaṁ tuṣṭo bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ dadāv ilābhavat tena sudyumnaḥ puruṣarṣabhaḥ

Pleased with him, the Supreme Controller Lord Hari granted the desired boon; and by its power Ila was transformed into Sudyumna, foremost among men.

Verse 23 (bhagavata.9.1.23)

स एकदा महाराज विचरन् मृगयां वने । वृतः कतिपयामात्यैरश्वमारुह्य सैन्धवम् ॥ 1.23 ॥

sa ekadā mahārāja vicaran mṛgayāṁ vane vṛtaḥ katipayāmātyairaśvamāruhya saindhavam

O King, once that Sudyumna, surrounded by a few of his ministers and mounted upon a horse from the Sindhu country, went roaming the forest on a hunt.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.9.1.24)

प्रगृह्य रुचिरं चापं शरांश्च परमाद्भुतान् । दंशितोऽनुमृगं वीरो जगाम दिशमुत्तराम् ॥ 1.24 ॥

pragṛhya ruciraṁ cāpaṁ śarāṁśca paramādbhutān daṁśito ’numṛgaṁ vīro jagāma diśamuttarām

Grasping his splendid bow and wondrous arrows, clad in armor, the hero pursued the deer and came at last to the northern quarter.

Verse 25 (bhagavata.9.1.25)

सुकुमारवनं मेरोरधस्तात् प्रविवेश ह । यत्रास्ते भगवाञ्छर्वो रममाणः सहोमया ॥ 1.25 ॥

sukumāra-vanaṁ meror adhastāt praviveśa ha yatrāste bhagavāñ charvo ramamāṇaḥ sahomayā

There he entered the Sukumara forest at the foot of Mount Meru, where Lord Shiva ever sports together with Uma.

Verse 26 (bhagavata.9.1.26)

तस्मिन् प्रविष्ट एवासौ सुद्युम्नः परवीरहा । अपश्यत् स्त्रियमात्मानमश्वं च वडवां नृप ॥ 1.26 ॥

tasmin praviṣṭa evāsau sudyumnaḥ para-vīra-hā apaśyat striyam ātmānam aśvaṁ ca vaḍavāṁ nṛpa

O King, the very moment that Sudyumna, slayer of enemy heroes, entered that forest, he found himself transformed into a woman, and his horse into a mare.

Verse 27 (bhagavata.9.1.27)

तथा तदनुगाः सर्वे आत्मलिङ्गविपर्ययम् । दृष्ट्वा विमनसोऽभूवन् वीक्षमाणाः परस्परम् ॥ 1.27 ॥

tathā tad-anugāḥ sarve ātma-liṅga-viparyayam dṛṣṭvā vimanaso ’bhūvan vīkṣamāṇāḥ parasparam

His companions too, seeing their own bodily sex likewise reversed, fell into despondency, gazing at one another in dismay.

Verse 28 (bhagavata.9.1.28)

श्रीराजोवाच कथमेवं गुणो देशः केन वा भगवन् कृतः । प्रश्नमेनं समाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि नः ॥ 1.28 ॥

śrī-rājovāca katham evaṁ guṇo deśaḥ kena vā bhagavan kṛtaḥ praśnam enaṁ samācakṣva paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi naḥ

King Parikshit said: O lord, how did this place come to have such a property, and by whom was it so made? Please answer this question, for we are most curious to know.

Verse 29 (bhagavata.9.1.29)

श्रीशुक उवाच एकदा गिरिशं द्रष्टुमृषयस्तत्र सुव्रताः । दिशो वितिमिराभासाः कुर्वन्तः समुपागमन् ॥ 1.29 ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca ekadā giriśaṁ draṣṭum ṛṣayas tatra suvratāḥ diśo vitimirābhāsāḥ kurvantaḥ samupāgaman

Shukadeva said: Once, sages of firm vows came there to see Lord Shiva, their own radiance dispelling the darkness of every direction as they approached.

Verse 30 (bhagavata.9.1.30)

तान् विलोक्याम्बिका देवी विवासा व्रीडिता भृशम् । भर्तुरङ्कात् समुत्थाय नीवीमाश्वथ पर्यधात् ॥ 1.30 ॥

tān vilokyāmbikā devī vivāsā vrīḍitā bhṛśam bhartur aṅkāt samutthāya nīvīm āśv atha paryadhāt

Seeing them, the goddess Ambika, who was at that time unclothed, felt intense shame; rising at once from her husband's lap, she hastily gathered her garment about her.

Verse 31 (bhagavata.9.1.31)

ऋषयोऽपि तयोर्वीक्ष्य प्रसङ्गं रममाणयोः । निवृत्ताः प्रययुस्तस्मान्नरनारायणाश्रमम् ॥ 1.31 ॥

ṛṣayo ’pi tayor vīkṣya prasaṅgaṁ ramamāṇayoḥ nivṛttāḥ prayayus tasmān nara-nārāyaṇāśramam

The sages too, seeing the pair thus engaged in intimate sport, turned back from that place and departed for the hermitage of Nara-Narayana.

Verse 32 (bhagavata.9.1.32)

तदिदं भगवानाह प्रियायाः प्रियकाम्यया । स्थानं यः प्रविशेदेतत् स वै योषिद् भवेदिति ॥ 1.32 ॥

tad idaṁ bhagavān āha priyāyāḥ priya-kāmyayā sthānaṁ yaḥ praviśed etat sa vai yoṣid bhaved iti

Then Lord Shiva, wishing only to please his beloved, declared: "Whatever man enters this place shall become a woman."

Verse 33 (bhagavata.9.1.33)

तत ऊर्ध्वं वनं तद् वै पुरुषा वर्जयन्ति हि । सा चानुचरसंयुक्ता विचचार वनाद् वनम् ॥ 1.33 ॥

tata ūrdhvaṁ vanaṁ tad vai puruṣā varjayanti hi sā cānucara-saṁyuktā vicacāra vanād vanam

Since that day men have avoided that forest. And she — Sudyumna, now in female form — began to wander from forest to forest with her attendants.

Verse 34 (bhagavata.9.1.34)

अथ तामाश्रमाभ्याशे चरन्तीं प्रमदोत्तमाम् । स्त्रीभिः परिवृतां वीक्ष्य चकमे भगवान् बुधः ॥ 1.34 ॥

atha tām āśramābhyāśe carantīṁ pramadottamām strībhiḥ parivṛtāṁ vīkṣya cakame bhagavān budhaḥ

Seeing that most beautiful woman, surrounded by other women, roaming near his hermitage, the illustrious Budha desired her.

Verse 35 (bhagavata.9.1.35)

सापि तं चकमे सुभ्रूः सोमराजसुतं पतिम् । स तस्यां जनयामास पुरूरवसमात्मजम् ॥ 1.35 ॥

sāpi taṁ cakame subhrūḥ somarāja-sutaṁ patim sa tasyāṁ janayām āsa purūravasam ātmajam

That fair-browed woman, too, desired the moon-god's son as her husband; and he begot in her a son named Pururava.

Verse 36 (bhagavata.9.1.36)

एवं स्त्रीत्वमनुप्राप्तः सुद्युम्नो मानवो नृपः । सस्मार स कुलाचार्यं वसिष्ठमिति शुश्रुम ॥ 1.36 ॥

evaṁ strītvam anuprāptaḥ sudyumno mānavo nṛpaḥ sasmāra sa kulācāryaṁ vasiṣṭham iti śuśruma

Thus having attained womanhood, King Sudyumna, son of Manu, remembered his family preceptor Vasishtha — so we have heard.

Verse 37 (bhagavata.9.1.37)

स तस्य तां दशां दृष्ट्वा कृपया भृशपीडितः । सुद्युम्नस्याशयन् पुंस्त्वमुपाधावत शङ्करम् ॥ 1.37 ॥

sa tasya tāṁ daśāṁ dṛṣṭvā kṛpayā bhṛśa-pīḍitaḥ sudyumnasyāśayan puṁstvam upādhāvata śaṅkaram

Seeing his condition, Vasishtha, deeply moved by compassion, took up the worship of Lord Shankara, desiring that Sudyumna regain his manhood.

Verse 38 (bhagavata.9.1.38)

तुष्टस्तस्मै स भगवानृषये प्रियमावहन् । स्वां च वाचमृतां कुर्वन्निदमाह विशाम्पते ॥ 1.38 ॥

tuṣṭastasmai sa bhagavānṛṣaye priyamāvahan svāṁ ca vācamṛtāṁ kurvannidamāha viśāmpate

O King, pleased with him, Lord Shiva, wishing to gratify the sage while yet keeping true to his own earlier word, spoke as follows.

Verse 39 (bhagavata.9.1.39)

मासं पुमान् स भविता मासं स्त्री तव गोत्रजः । इत्थं व्यवस्थया कामं सुद्युम्नोऽवतु मेदिनीम् ॥ 1.39 ॥

māsaṁ pumān sa bhavitā māsaṁ strī tava gotrajaḥ itthaṁ vyavasthayā kāmaṁ sudyumno ’vatu medinīm

"This descendant of your line shall be a man for one month and a woman for the next. By this arrangement let Sudyumna rule the earth as he wishes."

Verse 40 (bhagavata.9.1.40)

आचार्यानुग्रहात् कामं लब्ध्वा पुंस्त्वं व्यवस्थया । पालयामास जगतीं नाभ्यनन्दन् स्म तं प्रजाः ॥ 1.40 ॥

ācāryānugrahāt kāmaṁ labdhvā puṁstvaṁ vyavasthayā pālayām āsa jagatīṁ nābhyanandan sma taṁ prajāḥ

By his teacher's grace, having thus obtained his desired manhood under this arrangement, Sudyumna ruled the earth — though his subjects were not truly content with it.

Verse 41 (bhagavata.9.1.41)

तस्योत्कलो गयो राजन् विमलश्च त्रयः सुताः । दक्षिणापथराजानो बभूवुर्धर्मवत्सलाः ॥ 1.41 ॥

tasyotkalo gayo rājan vimalaś ca trayaḥ sutāḥ dakṣiṇā-patha-rājāno babhūvur dharma-vatsalāḥ

O King, he had three sons — Utkala, Gaya and Vimala — devoted to dharma, who became the kings of the Deccan.

Verse 42 (bhagavata.9.1.42)

ततः परिणते काले प्रतिष्ठानपतिः प्रभुः । पुरूरवस उत्सृज्य गां पुत्राय गतो वनम् ॥ 1.42 ॥

tataḥ pariṇate kāle pratiṣṭhāna-patiḥ prabhuḥ purūravasa utsṛjya gāṁ putrāya gato vanam

Thereafter, when the time had ripened, the lord of Pratishthana gave over the earth to his son Pururava and departed for the forest.